The Coat
by moviefreak4634
Summary: If Chase had still been a man of faith, he might have said it was destiny that brought him back to the hopital that night. But as it was, it was just his coat. -- Alternate version of events. Set post Control - 1X14.


Author's Note: I couldn't actually sleep until I completed this story. I've been watching early House lately since I just bought Seasons One and Two, and while there is Hameron there (I will admit it. But I still think it's basically one-sided on Cameron's part.), there is a bunch of Chameron there too. So I just had to write this little scene. Too bad it didn't actually happen this way.

Disclaimer: Still don't own House, M.D.

* * *

If Chase had still been a man of faith, he might have said it was destiny that brought him back to the hospital that night. But as it was, it was just his coat; though, he was beginning to suspect the coat might at least be lucky.

The last thing, or person rather, that he'd expected to see in the office when he returned was Cameron. She was standing in the doorway, the passageway between their side and House's, leaned against the frame. That was, until Chase opened the door. Cameron spun quickly at the sound, reaching to her face in what looked like an effort to brush away tears.

"Hi," she said, in an obvious attempt to appear as normal as possible.

"Hey," Chase replied, willing to go along with the ploy. He'd do anything she asked him to and, apparently, anything she didn't ask him to as well. "Left my coat."

Cameron nodded slightly but didn't move, just stood there watching, as he grabbed the coat off the back of his chair. He really needed to remember to leave it on the hook by the door instead. He turned to leave but just because he wasn't going to call Cameron on the tears didn't mean he wasn't concerned.

"Something wrong, Allison?" He tried to remember the manipulating stuff she'd done earlier, but it seemed he wasn't as good at it.

"I'm fine," she said, calmly enough, even if she'd bristled slightly at the question, "Robert."

But that, that was going a bit far. She'd purposefully baited him with the last word, the way she'd said his name. Something was definitely wrong.

"Why were you looking in House's office?" he asked, ignoring the tension for now, instead trying to make the question look like a different topic of conversation when, in fact, it was anything but.

"Just making sure everything was in its place. I was in there earlier, and he'll get cranky if I disturbed the sanctity of his workspace."

The sarcasm aside, it was a good excuse. Chase had to admit that at least, but he still didn't believe her. Though if she wasn't going to tell him, there wasn't anything he could do. He nodded, turned for the door again.

Asking just once more couldn't hurt.

"You're sure you're okay?"

"Yeah."

He left then, but he'd barely even made it to the elevator and pushed the button before he heard her calling.

"Chase, wait."

He turned, coat slung over his arm, and waited.

"I'm not fine. I kind of may have told House I like him, and he – he rejected me."

"Oh." Of all the things the could have come out of Cameron's mouth, Chase had definitely not expected that. "You like him like him? And just up and told him?"

"No, nothing like that," Cameron said. "He said everyone liked me, and I asked him if he did. And he said no."

"Ah." Chase was still having trouble with coming up with something to say. "Well, he was right. Everyone does like you, except for him apparently."

"Do you?"

The question threw him. It wasn't as if he'd known what to say before, but now he was really at a loss. "Uh," was the best he could manage.

"You tried to ask me out before," Cameron persisted. "So, do you like me?"

"Yes." Now, why had he said that? That was about the worst things he could have done under the circumstances. Thankfully, the elevator arrived then, and Chase hurried on, anxious to get away from Cameron and this whole conversation, but to his dismay, she followed him on.

"Why?"

"Why do you like House?" he deflected.

"I respect him. I think there's more to him than just the surface. Why do you like me?"

"I respect you. You're beautiful, and yet, there's more to you than just what's on the surface."

"That's basically what I said about House," Cameron pointed out, and Chase shrugged.

The elevator stopped then, the doors opened, and Cameron walked off. Chase followed. He wasn't sure why he did what he did next. Maybe he was just a glutton for punishment, or maybe he sensed something in Cameron.

"Hey, did you want to –"

Cameron cut him off. "No."

But that had just been the beginning. Chase persisted, kept asking Cameron out, and eventually, once she'd stopped mooning over House, she agreed to a date. And to think, all he'd gone back for that night was his coat.


End file.
